Sports Nutrition

Proper fueling before and during competition can give you the competitive advantage you need to succeed.

Sports Nutrition is a vital piece of the puzzle for optimum sports performances, and Nebraska has world-class facilities dedicated to giving student-athletes a competitive advantage. Nebraska has two full-time sports nutritionists and is one of only three universities nation-wide to have more than one full-time sports nutritionist.

The goal of the sports nutrition staff is to teach student-athletes how to fuel their bodies correctly before and after workouts and throughout the day to enhance the body’s ability to recover from training and maximize physical development. To help reach this goal, the staff has the facilities and equipment necessary to set up individualized meal plans, competition fueling and educational instruction. One of the highlights of the sports nutrition facilities is the Landing located next to the weight room, which opened in 2006 and serves as the primary fueling point for all athletes before, during and after training. The Landing provides several recovery shakes, energy bars, fruits and trail mix, along with multi-vitamins. The staff also has access to an in-house Bod Pod machine and skinfold calipers to test body composition.

The University of Nebraska Sports Nutrition Department is committed to meeting the nutritional needs of athletes. We seek to meet these needs through assessment, education, and implementation of proper nutritional practices. We are dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, continued education, and scientific research in the field of sports nutrition.

Lewis Training Table

The Lewis Training Table was completely redesigned in 2010 and serves as the main student-athlete dining facility for lunch and dinner. Nebraska was one of the first universities in the country to provide a training table for student-athletes. The Lewis Training Table features a Performance Buffet every day where student-athletes can choose foods to meet their individualized meal plans. All foods served in the Training Table are labeled with a specialized food labeling system that helps student-athletes understand what foods they need to consume and the appropriate quantities to meet their individual needs. The Training Table features its own full-time staff, including an executive chef.

The training table first opened in 1985 and currently offers lunch and dinner meals for student-athletes. The training table prides itself in providing the highest quality foods for athletes to enhance performance. Dale Kruse, Training Table manager, oversees the foodservice operation and has over 10 years of experience running Nebraska's unique, one of a kind, training table. The training table also features an executive chef, Michael Steele, who oversees all food production and recipe development. Together, both sports nutritionists, the manager, and executive chef collaborate in creating the menus and choosing high quality, performance based foods for the athletes.

The Landing & Oasis

The Landing, established in 2005, and the Oasis, established in 2011, serve as fueling points for all athletes before, during, and after training. The Landing is located in North Stadium while the Oasis is housed in the Hendricks Training Complex. Both areas provide a number of different options including chocolate milk, recovery shakes, energy bars, bagels, fruits, nuts, and Gatorade for student athletes. As part of their individualized meal plans, athletes are prescribed a unique BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER workout fueling plan utilizing the products offered at the landing. Multi-vitamins are also provided to ensure athletes are meeting their nutrient needs. Student-Nutrition volunteers assist in managing both areas and help prepare specialized nutritional shakes and recovery drinks for student-athletes.